The Valleys of the Assassins: and Other Persian Travels (Modern Library (Paperback))

Hailed as a classic upon its first publication in 1934, The Valleys of the Assassins firmly established Freya Stark as one of her generation's most intrepid explorers. The book chronicles her travels into Luristan, the mountainous terrain nestled between Iraq and present-day Iran, often with only a single guide and on a shoestring budget. Stark writes engagingly of the nomadic peoples who inhabit the region's valleys and brings to life the stories of the ancient kingdoms of the Middle East, including that of the Lords of Alamut, a band of hashish-eating terrorists whose stronghold in the Elburz Mountains Stark was the first to document for the Royal Geographical Society. Her account is at once a highly readable travel narrative and a richly drawn, sympathetic portrait of a people told from their own compelling point of view. This edition includes a new Introduction by Jane Fletcher Geniesse, Stark's biographer. **From Amazon.com:** Hailed as a classic upon its first publication in 1934, The Valleys of the Assassins firmly established Freya Stark as one of her generation's most intrepid explorers. The book chronicles her travels into Luristan, the mountainous terrain nestled between Iraq and present-day Iran, often with only a single guide and on a shoestring budget. Stark writes engagingly of the nomadic peoples who inhabit the region's valleys and brings to life the stories of the ancient kingdoms of the Middle East, including that of the Lords of Alamut, a band of hashish-eating terrorists whose stronghold in the Elburz Mountains Stark was the first to document for the Royal Geographical Society. Her account is at once a highly readable travel narrative and a richly drawn, sympathetic portrait of a people told from their own compelling point of view. In a critically acclaimed travelogue first published in 1934, the author recounts her adventures traveling alone through the Middle East in 1927 and her odyssey through remote areas of Persia, including a visit to the hidden castle of local outlaws. Reprint. 15,000 first printing. With a new introduction, the book chronicles the author's 1934 travels into Luristan, the mountainous terrain between Iraq and present-day Iran "The book chronicles the author's 1934 travels into Luristan, the mountainous terrain between Iraq and present-day Iran."--Source inconnue In the wastes of civilization, Luristan is still an enchanted name.